Bleach Bus Prompts
by Lightninging
Summary: Drabbles for various canon-esque and requested pairings, friendship and romance. Requests welcome! -Discontinued-
1. Snow, Flower: ShuNao

A/N: Hello, my dearies. Now: **This is how it works.** I am going to write a drabble every morning on my bus ride. Hence the name. Then, I will post it. You are most definitely allowed to give me prompts- however, I prefer canon pairings. Or at least _plausible_ ones. AKA, _not _GrimmIchi or something else completely improbable. Please, fangirls, do not attack me for saying that. **Feel free to give me two or three words, and a pairing.** If I can't think of anything to answer a prompt with, I will do a different one.

Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish I owned Bleach. I would be RICH, and therefore able to buy however many Byakuya plushies I want to. However, I do not have that ability- much to my great chagrin.

* * *

Snow, flower, ShuNao

The sakura blossoms bloomed in the spring, once the snow had melted and left a barren landscape. The cherry trees- bare branches whistling in the wind, long cold fingers reaching for the sky- had the arduous task of bringing color to the gray-brown ground. This, too, was his job. After the winter ended, the spring came- and with it, the new year began.

It was one thing Shunsui was very good at- sweeping away the cares of war, and presenting her with the sakura blossoms of spring.

"Nanao-chan!! Nanao-chan!! Come sit on the roof with me! The paperwork can be done later and-"

"No, taichou. This is a report on the newest attack in the World of the Living, and it needs to be given to Yamamoto-soutaichou before three. Today. "

"But Nanao-chan! You need to forget about the silly report, and come have fun! Relax! Paperwork is not essential to your happiness, after all. But, since it is my Nanao-chan, I have to wonder. Is it essential to your very being?"

"Of course not, Taichou. Now-"  
"But Nanao-chan is essential to _my_ being. And if Nanao-chan keels over from paperwork, where would that leave me?"

"True, I suppose this division wouldn't last without me for more than five days."

"So, to keep you from dying from paperwork, you will come sit on the roof with your Taichou. Now, Nanao-chan! To wash away the memories of… everything that's happening right now. _Please_, Ise-san?"

The _please_ –and the seriousness- got her. "Well, I suppose... Just this once- to wash away the memories."

After all, she would have a wonderful view of the sakura trees from the roof. They had always been her favourite…

* * *

Likey? No likey?

Review! Feel free to leave me another prompt...


	2. Cola, School, Silence: IshiHime

A/N: Well, here's the second chapter. One prompt a day! Today's prompt: Cola, School, Silence; IshiHime. Given by the lovely EowynsPen. I do the prompts in the order I get them; Kiku, your prompt will be tomorrow's drabbot. ;)

Warning: WAFF! Excess amounts of IshiHime fluff ahead...

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Well, no Bleach with a capital B, only some bleach without a capital B. It's under my sink. XD

* * *

Bleach Bus Prompts: Cola, School, Silence, IshiHime

And so they sat in silence.

Really, Orihime had never had a more awkward moment. The two of them just… _sat. _It was a pity, really. Orihime could just _tell_ that he had something he wanted to say. And it annoyed her that he wasn't saying it. Well, she'd just have to break the ice.

Looking down at the cola in her lap, she shyly offered the bottle to Ishida. "Here, Uryu-kun. Would you like some?"

The boy gently pushed the proffered beverage away. "No thanks, Inoue-san." Glancing at his watch, the quincy added, "It's almost time for the class, anyway."

Orihime sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is." _And I don't suppose that you'll say what you've been wanting to, now._

"Oh- uh, Orihime-san?" Ah, _Orihime-san_ was an improvement over _Inoue-san_.

She looked up with a smile. "Yes?"

"…Thank you."

"Whatever for, Uryu-kun?" Was he- _blushing_?

"For sitting with me. And having lunch with me. No girl's ever done that before." Yes, definitely _blushing._ Puppy love- wasn't that what Tatsuki-chan had called it?

"Oh, that's too bad. You really are a wonderful person, Uryu-kun. Smart, caring, polite, handsome- what's not to like?"

There came the expected blush. "Oh, u-uh, really? Uh- arigatou, Orihime-san."

He was going to say… He was going to say what he'd been holding off on… _Now she'd see what it was… _"

"Orihime-san?" Yes! He was going to say it…"Would you…" Oh, it was a _would you_, and a question… "Liketogonadatwitme?" Huh? _What_?

Now it was her turn to blush. "Um, gomen nasai, but I didn't quite catch that."

"Oh. Would you like to go somewhere with me sometime? To- to the movies, or out for dinner?" _Was he asking her on a… _date?

"You mean… a date, like, right Uryu-kun?" A big smile accompanied her words, and she was granted a small one in return.

"Yes, I suppose. If you want to think of it as a date."

Well, this was unexpected. But not unwelcome, not unwelcome at all. The strawberry-blonde smiled as she answered "Yes!"

* * *

_6 years later…_

"Uryu, why did you bring me to this place? Isn't it a little… expensive? I mean, not that you have money troubles, but it seems wasted… on… me…" she stuttered to a halt as her boyfriend leaned closer to her.

A hot breath brushed her ear. "No, 'Hime. Nothing can be too expensive for you." A gentle pair of lips brushed her own.

She blushed, surprised by the quincy's public display of affection. He didn't do that often- well, in the World of the Living, at least. It was a different story at the end of the war against Aizen. She blushed darker at the memory of Ishida grabbing her as Aizen fell, Ichigo's sword through his chest. He had covered her eyes, shielding her from the blood. And then… welll, the ardent kiss had earned a few catcalls.

"Your dessert, sir? Ma'am?" A waitress placed two small cakes in front of them.

Orihime blinked in confusion. "I didn't order these- did you, Uryu?"

He merely nodded. "They're your favourites, aren't they?" he slid one of the lava cakes towards her.

"Well, yes, but-"

He smiled. "Eat it."

"O-Okay." She dug her fork in. Something _clinked_. And it was… _shiny_? She poked it with her fork again. _Clink, clinkclinkclink. Clink-clink._ Hmmm. Uryu looked rather ill. She lifted the object out of the chocolate, a few crumbs tumbling off the golden, metallic sides. It was a…

_…ring?_

"U-Uryu? Is this…" She was speechless. A rare occasion indeed.

"Inoue Orihime. I love you, more than life. I will never, ever love anyone the way I love you- so will you marry me?"

"YES!"

* * *

A/N: Well? What do you think? Review!! And leave a prompt while you're at it.


	3. Idiot, Pervert: GinRan

A/N: Sorry for the delay. *mutters about Microsoft Word quitting every time she tried to save* The good news is, I have three more drabbles ready to type up!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Because if I did, PleepChan would have stolen Ichigo and Rukia and locked them in a closet, oh, sometime around chapter... 3?

Dedicated to: Kiku. Thanks so much!! (Yeah, I thought of her accidentally eating it at first, too... but putting it in a teacup would have been too cliche...) Not sure if you were expecting this to be so... dark, but that's just how it turned out.

* * *

Prompt: Pervert, Idiot: GinRan

He was a pervert and an idiot, nothing more.

So why was she so willing to accept him? So willing to lean into his embraces, respond to his touch? So willing to kiss him when he leaned close, accept that last drink of sake and skip out on her paperwork?

As she realized she had been staring at the flickering candle in front of her, she wrenched her attention back to the report. _New attacks... new attacks... ryoka... where was I?... ryoka and Jidanbou... yes... Gin stopped them... _

When she asked Nanao, the dark-haired fukutaichou claimed it might be love. Of course, the words had been accompanied by a secretive smile and a soft chuckle- so for once, Rangiku was at a loss in a social situation.

It was a sad and sorry state of affairs.

Her secret- love? lust?- kept her from her work, snatching away her thoughts when she held a pen and a report.

"Ran-chan?"

Dammit. Only _one _person in all of Sereitei called her that- and his name was- "Ichimaru-taichou?" The words came out crisp as autumn's breeze. She kept her eyes focused on the paper in front of her, refusing to appear distracted.

The silver-haired captain was leaning against the doorframe. He laughed, his eyes showing his irritation. "Now, Ran-chan, we've been over this. 'S'not Ichimaru-taichou- it's Gin. Just Gin."

Oops. Time to try a different tactic. Rangiku tossed her hair. "And what gives you the right to address me so informally? I don't recall_-_"

His grin was feral, almost eerie as he said softly, "Do I _need _permission, _Ran-chan_?" he padded softly towards her desk.

She shivered. _Stay calm. Stoic- that's the key. _"Yes." Her flint-grey eyes bored holes in the wood of the desk.

"Really?" The word was hissed into the darkness, the soft light of the candle seeming to waver against the harsh sound.

Her shoulders tensed. "Really." _Stay in control._ "_Ichimaru-taichou_, did you have any particular reason for coming here?"

The grin was back- not that it had ever vanished. "Yare, yare, Ran-chan. I was just worried about you- you haven't been to the bar for a few nights. I've missed ya." He walked around to the other side of her desk, leaning his elbows upon the wood. His face was _so close to hers-_ it was almost unbearable.

She would stay in control here. She was a flirt, a temptress, a siren. Not a plaything. "I've been _working_." No man could make her do anything- not shiver, not kiss them , not _feel like this._

He leaned down, capturing her lips with his own, roughly attacking her. When it ended, he whispered, "Maybe you should stop working, then, Ran-chan. Working _bores me._"

The candle's flickering light spread throughout the deserted office, covering the abandoned pens and scattered papers in a quivering ripple of energy.

The next morning, all was left in ashes.

* * *

A/N: Review, please! Am I the only person who thinks Rangiku is very... stubborn? That she likes to be in control of herself, and wouldn't appreciate falling for someone if she didn't want to?


	4. Light, Grace: Hitsuhina

A/N: I had only 10 minutes to write this morning. Bah. Stupid history homework... .

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach... bah... sleepy...

* * *

Bleach Bus Prompts: Light, Grace, Hitsuhina

Well, it wasn't _his_ fault.

That was what he told himself, at least. Somehow, though… it could all be traced back to him.

A long chain of events, a string of rot creeping along it towards her.

And he was the one who had cut it. The one who was responsible for everything

And now, as she lay there, unmoving and bloody- he felt regret. So, so much regret, drowning him in its tendrils. Why hadn't he managed to protect her? She was his charge, his _responsibility._

"Hey, Momo- you okay?" Ah, it was a stupid question. Slowly, she sat up, wincing. He silently handed her a bit of rag, and she –just as silently- wiped the blood off her knee. A scraped furrow laid there, blood dripping from it.

Momo turned and glared at the bit of wood she had tripped on. "Ah! That stupid thing! But I got you, Shiro-chan!"

Hitsugaya frowned. "No, you didn't- you just got my _hair_. That doesn't count!"

"Yes, it does. I _tagged_ you."

* * *

A/N: Review my ten-minute effort, which is quite frankly only here so I don't feel bad about not updating...


	5. Bracelet, Mirror, Book: IchiRuki

A/N: I have returned!! Today's prompt: Bracelet, mirror, book: IchiRuki. Submitted by FionaH93. Tomorrow's prompt: Kitten, mice, milk: UraYoru, submitted by Kiku.

Disclaimer: [Insert witty comment here] I don't own Bleach.

* * *

Bleach Bus Prompts: Bracelet, mirror, book: IchiRuki

Ichigo looked at the arm Rukia was shoving in his face. He'd been enjoying his nap, but now… no such luck.

Cracking an eye open, he looked again.

A mirror-bright silver bracelet gleamed on it. "Yeah, midget? It's a bracelet. What about it?"

She whacked her obstinate friend over the head. "It's not just ANY bracelet, Ichigo. It's a soul detector."

He looked, cross-eyed, at the metallic thing gleaming in front of his nose. "A soul detector, eh?" (1)

"Yes, baka." She glared at him as she plopped onto the baby-blue bedspread.

Sitting up, he sat cross-legged next to her. Examining the string of silver beads more closely, he leaned in towards her.

She jerked back, blushing.

"What?" If she hadn't known better, she would've sworn he sounded almost… concerned.

Shaking her head –Ichigo noticed blearily the way her hair brused her face- she murmured, "Nothing."

"Oh." Well, what had he been expecting? A declaration of love? Anyway… "So, what does that fancy bracelet of yours do?" He had noticed a conspicuous absence of chappy bunny on the adornment. "And where'd ya get it?"

She whacked him on the head- again. "It's a soul detector, baka. What do you think it does?"

Ouch. Really. "Um, detect souls?"

She sighed, exasperated. "Genius. Not only does it detect souls, it only detects dead and in danger souls. Living OR dead souls that are in danger, whether from a hollow or something else."

Oh no. This sounded like… "You want to be a superhero now? Is that it, hmmm?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "What's a superhero?" Cocking her head to one side, she gazed at him expectantly.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "... Um. Superman, WonderWoman, Batman? Them?"

Rukia brightened. "Oh, yeah! I know now. But… why would I want to be one of them?"

"Never mind."

"Okay."

Silence.

"Rukia?"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you get that bracelet?"

A pause, then… "Renji."

A pang of something- jealousy?- hit Ichigo.

"Oh."

A poke. "Are you... _jealous_?"

"No!"

Rukia only laughed.

* * *

A/N: Well, can't say I loved the ending, but... ah well. Heheh. Review!! Leave prompts!! All that jazz!


	6. Jam, Mirage: IchiRuki

A/N: RANDOM BONUS CHAPTER OF DOOM!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

* * *

Bleach Bus Prompts: jam, mirage: IchiRuki

"OI, ICHIGO!" the shout came from down stairs. Just when he'd remembered that formula, too.

Turning around in his swivel chair, he shouted back, "WHAT, RUKIA?"

"You're out of jam!"

He rested his head in his hands. Did she really think he had control over the jam supply? "I'm trying to study!" Did the goddamn midget think AP Chem could be passed without studying?

"So? You're out of jam! I want a sandwich!" Did he care? No.

"I don't care! Find some more! Talk to Yuzu! I don't care, just STOP BOTHERING ME!" Gah! The idiotic little…

"Ichigoooo, why have you not assisted Rukia-chan? She is in dire need of jam!" God, not him too…

Guess he'd have to go down there. All this shouting was getting cumbersome. "Fine! I'm coming!" Grumbling, he stomped out of his bedroom towards the commotion.

…and then promptly fell down the stairs.

"Uhhh… Ichigo?"

Ow. His head HURT. Really, really hurt. Why were they yakking at him? "Yeah?"

"Could you GET OFF ME?"

…oops. So that's why the landing hadn't hurt his back, only his head. "Oh." He climbed to his feet, holding out a hand to the small teen lying, squished, on the floor. "Your butt is big, Ichigo. Baka."

Did she have to say that? His face was strangely hot, and- comeback time! "Midget," he growled, laughing.

He stopped laughing when she dumped the jam on his head.

* * *

A/N: Opinions, anyone?? I know it was short, buuuut...


	7. Kitten, Mice, Milk: UraYoru

A/N: Hello!! Today's prompt: Kitten, mice, milk: UraYoru. Submitted by Kiku. Tomorrow's prompt: Zipper, chips, artificial food coloring: IchiRen. Submitted by EowynsPen.  
I have been informed of two things:  
-I do not follow prompts closely enough. I will try to do better from now on. (*cough*EowynsPen*cough*)  
-I do not actually write these on a _bus_. It's true. T.T I write most of them on a _train. _However, look at the title with the word 'Train' instead of bus. Not as cool, ne? I do, however, write _a part_ of the pieces on a bus, therefore I excercise my artistic license: Bleach BUS Prompts.

**I'm do sorry this is so late, but my life has been filled with interim-grade-frantic-ness. Grades, grades, grades, tests, quizzes, interim finals- bah. Very busy. So sorry!! I'll try to get back on schedule...**

Disclaimer: [Insert witty comment here] I don't own Bleach.

* * *

Bleach Bus Prompts: Kitten, Mice, Milk: UraYoru.

* * *

Urahara Kisuke was very confused.

This was an extremely rare event.

Because, after all, he _was_ a genius.

But this... this crossed the line. What line, you ask? The line. Yeah, _the_ line. The one right there. In his... _relationship. _After all, what else was Urahara supposed to call it? A... friendship? An affair? It was neither, really.

But he was getting off-topic. The issue here was the cat. Or, more precisely, kitten. Mewling at his feet. It was kind of pathetic, really.

Here was the great Kisuke Urahara, kneeling in front of a _kitten._ On his knees, in all his hat-and-clogs glory, for a kitten.

But... why was there a kitten? That was the problem.

...Oh...

Oh.

_oh._

_Maybe... maybe it wasn't his. _Heck, maybe it wasn't Yoruichi's.

But... it was...

A black kitten. Which concerned him.

Impossible, though.

After all, they'd always been…careful, in their relationship. They were intelligent people- maybe she wasn't a genius, but she was intelligent enough. There was no such thing as an accident. They played with the world as cats played with mice. So what was this?

"Mrow," The kitten looked up at him with big, gold eyes…

He stroked its head. "Mrow yourself, little buddy. What's your name?"

It had nothing else to say. "Mrow."

He laughed. "That's okay. You can tell me later, when Yoruichi gets back here."

"Mrrrooooow."

"Yes, I know. Mrow."

"Mrrowwoooowww."

"Huh?"

"Mrrrrowwwwwww mrow mrow."

"Well, aren't you the talkative one." Maybe it was related to Yoruichi. But that was…slightly illogical. Every move they made, after all, was calculated. They knew exactly what they were doing. And… kittens didn't fit into the equation. Kittens, children, and whatnot- they were not planned. And nothing, absolutely nothing happened unless it was in the plan. So this was not, then, theirs. Problem solved. Kisuke got up and walked away, as-

"Mrow?"

He threw a look back at the kitten. "No. You do not get any more of my pity."

The kitten shivered. "M-mrowww…"

Gah. The stupid thing was hijacking his emotions.

"M-mrowwwww… mrow…"

It wasn't fair for it to sound so pitiful!! "Fine. You get some milk, but that's all."

"Mrow!" For a kitten, it sure had a load of personality.

As he set the bowl full of milk on the floor, the kitten twined around his ankles. "Mrow."

He laughed again. Maybe kittens were good for the soul. "Yes, mrow. Now drink."

The kitten lapped up the liquid with its tongue, a little pink flicker darting out of it mouth. No noise emerged from its tiny body past the gentle splash of milk. He crouched again, petting it lightly. It would raise some awkward questions, if Jinta and the rest came home now.

A crash startled him out of his reverie.

"Hello, Kisuke." The male voice belonged to another feline- this one sleek, black, and not-so-tiny. "Who's that?"

He calmly got up from his crouch, gazing levelly at Yoruichi. "I was hoping you could tell me."

The cat's eyes darted towards the kitten, serenely drinking, and then to Urahara. "Oh, you thought…" The words dissolved into laughter.

He sighed, then walked into his bedroom to fetch her clothes. "All went well ,I presume?"

Yoruichi grunted as she wiggled into her outfit. "As well as you could hope for, dealing with Hollows."

He watched her unwaveringly. "Nothing… unplanned?"

"Or unexpected."

"So…"

"You keeping that kitten?"

"What?" He'd forgotten about the small feline, who was now asleep on the floor. 'Oh. I don't know."

She slunk over to him. "You should."

Urahara eyed her , wary. "Any particular reason?"

Yoruichi smiled. "She needs a good home."

"Well, then, welcome home, Miku."


	8. Artificial Food Coloring, Chips: IchiRen

A/N: I'm BAAAAACK!

I apologize for my lengthy absence from... well, pretty much everywhere. They're called HIGH SCHOOL FINALS, and lately they've been eating my free time. (Well, finals, Naruto (ShikaTema!!) and Soul Eater... And Pandora Hearts... Well, you get my point.

**But: I'm SO SOORY! GOMEN NASAIIIIIIIIIIII!!**

_This, by the way, is a yaoi. You can take it as friendship or romance, just like you can most of these.  
And I'd like to clear up one lil' thing: Last chapter, the kitten was NOT their kid. Just a cute little kitten. ;) _

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I wish, I wish, near and far, I have wished upon a star, 7 days and seven nights... Huh. Not working. :(

* * *

Bleach Bus Prompts: Zipper, chips, artificial food coloring, IchiRen Tomorrow's: Ice, Sun, YoruSoi, submitted by... um, get back to you on this one, kay?

**-Ahhhh, dear EowynsPen, arigatou for this **_**wonderful**_** little prompt!- **

* * *

Ichigo frowned at the bag of chips in his hand. They were just… annoying. Really, who in the World of the Living decided upon this particular method of chip storage? Really. It was… irritating.

"Need some help?" A redheaded shinigami interrupted his friend's silent battle with the bag.

The famous scowl got even bigger as the orange-haired teen turned to the redhead. "_What, _ Abarai?" he growled.

Renji laughed, finding a sort of sadistic hilarity in the struggle. "I said, _do you want some help?_"

"No." I chigo said shortly, glancing at Renji. His teeth were bared in that… idiotic way that sometimes happened in the middle of a battle. _A battle? Whaaaaaat?_

When Renji stayed, unmoving, Ichigo glared. "I _said_, no!"

Undeterred, the redhead held out a small, yellow box. "Well, I was just going to say- if you needed any help, _maybe_ I'd help you. If you helped me, that is. 'Cuz _maybe_ I'm having trouble opening this."

Ichigo peered at the box. It was… _Yuzu's icing color?_

"Abarai," he said gruffly, "where the _hell_ did you get this?"

"What, you orange-haired idiot? Do you think I _stole_ it or something?" Renji spat, shoving his face in Ichigo's, tattoos tensed in anger.

"No," Ichigo growled, "I'm just wondering! I mean, what does a shinigami want with _artificial food coloring_?"

Now Renji looked faintly embarrassed. Ichigo noted a sort of- preoccupation with the zipper on his sweatshirt. _zzZip, Zzzzippp. zzIP, Zzzip. _"No! My captain wants cookies! From the World of the Living!"

_Now _Ichigo looked confused. "Bu- cookies? What?"

"Cookies. Kuchiki-taichou wants _cookies_." _ZzIPP, zzZZIP. ZIpp, ZIPZIPZIP._

_What. The. Hell? Byakuya? COOKIES? But… _"What does this have to do with me?"

_Zzzip, ziiiiipzippppzipp. ZIPZIPZI_- "You get a cookie if you help me. And I'll help you."

Ichigo silently handed Renji the bag of chips, receiving a small yellow box of artificial food colouring in return.

* * *

30 minutes later, Renji appeared out of the kitchen. Ichigo looked up from his work to find a delightful smell wafting across the room as Renji appeared, wearing yellow-and-pink calico hot pads on his hands, cookie tray held gently. "Hey, Ku- Ichigo. Want a cookie?"

* * *

A/N: Soooo, likey? No likey? For a while there I considered having Renji eat something with red food coloring, then run around pretending to be a vampire. (But I was afraid I couldn't've resisted the urge to have him pretend to be Edward Cullen, resulting in some serious Twilight bashing, sooo…)

NEVERMIND: TWILIGHT BASHING TIME!

* * *

Omake: Twilight Bashing, RPG format!

Renji: "RAWR!"

Ichigo: "WTF? Are you pretending to be a dinosaur, Abarai?"

Renji: *looks hurt* "No! I'm a VAMPIRE!"

Ichigo: "…Don't do that around Yuzu."

Renji: "Why?"

Ichigo: "She'll cry. She's under the impression all vampires are 'vegetarians' with kind, loving hearts, Mary-Sue girlfriends, and… "

Renji: o.O "What?"

Ichigo: "… _sparkles._"

* * *

Sooo... whaddaya think? REVIEW~!


	9. Epistolary Dreams: Part I

A/N: Just a little spur-of-the-moment thing. Can anyone guess who these two are?

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo rejected my offer of a shiny penny for the rights to Bleach. I mean, come on! It was a _really_ shiny penny!

* * *

The shinigami stared at the envelope that had just been delivered to his desk with a small poof. It had his best friend's handwriting on the front, complete with the usual Chappy Bunny doodles. He put down the plum he'd been eating, carefully ripping open the envelope. He chuckled at the doodles on the inside- so thick it was almost impossible to read the writing- and pushed his other paperwork aside.

I'm eating plum as I write this. I know you really needed to know that, so I told you. And, I admit, I was kinda out of conversation topics. And I know you love plums too. Hey, how are the plums in Soul Society? They should be ripe by now. Go eat one for me, will you? Can you tell I have nothing to say? I just felt obliged to send you a letter. Thanks for reading it!

Oh- Orihime-san says hi!

The vice-captain finished reading the letter, a funny feeling in his stomach when Inoue–san was mentioned. Wow, he thought, I never expected her to actually write. Shaking his head with a smile, he picked up his nice, ripe plum and took another bite. The juice dripped down his chin as he rustled around for a paper and pen to write back with.

* * *

A/N: Yes, short, but there are three more parts coming. :)


	10. Epistolary Dreams: Part II

A/N: PART TWO!! WHEEEE!

Disclaimer: I offered Kubo-sensei some Junior Mints this time... he refused. Again.

_

* * *

Poof!_ An envelope suddenly appeared on the corner of his desk. He picked the letter up, noting the somewhat messy penmanship and the less-than-professional paper, looking as though it had been ripped out of a notebook. He gently put his pen down, blowing on a division report to dry it off as he slit the envelope.

_Konichiwa, Onii-sama. How have you been? I remembered your request for regular letters, to inform you of my health while I'm here. I am doing well, and the mission is going splendidly. How has the weather been in Soul Society? I hope everything has been well in the sixth division. Goodbye, Onii-sama! I'll write again soon._

Well. He'd asked her to write, it was true, but this was unexpected. He hadn't been expecting this. The dark-haired man sat back, a ghost of a smile drifting across his face as he placed the envelope in an large ebony box in the bottom drawer. He carefully placed the enameled lid back on, covering up the memories. The photos and letters, small mementoes of a time past. He silently turned the key as he reached for fresh paper to reply.

* * *

_A/N:_ Yay! I really kinda hope this makes up for my sad lack of updates... but it won't. *sigh*


	11. Epistolary Dreams: Part III

A/N: Yes. I am evil. Me no update. I'm sorry. I have three words for you: "FINALS" and "FACEBOOK" and "NARUTO".  
Finals stole my time, FaceBook my internet, and Naruto everything else. (It's just too easy to get addicted to!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach... what, I do? YAY! PARTY!... aw, man, you had me going there for a sec.

* * *

A small, pink-haired blob of energy stared out the window, bored out of her mind. Her keeper had _expressly_ forbidden her from leaving the building, by means of tunnels, shunpo, or anything else. She supposed she deserved it- she'd bitten her keeper's head a little _too_ hard. It had just been too shiny, though… Maybe she'd sneak out later. She was _soooo bored…_

_Poof!_

She jerked up, shocked. Mail? Ooooh, this was fun!,

The big picture of Chappy Bunny on the front was nice, too. The pink and purple crayon was so happy- it made her happy. The shinigami clapped her hands together, delighted. More people needed to be happy like the mail- the world was such a sad place. She eagerly opened the envelope, slowly drawing out the carefully lettered paper within.

_Hi, President. I remembered that you were going to be having a design contest for the newest phone, so I decided to send in my idea. And I sent some candy- it's from Urahara-san's shop. I remembered how you liked it last time, so I sent a LOT. The package should arrive with this letter- it's a big box, about 1 meter by 1 meter by 1 meter, and I filled it with candy. I painted it pink with Chappy Bunnies, too!_

The girl turned. She'd been so excited by the happy letter- and the drawing of the phone, another very happy thing- that she hadn't seen the box. The shinigami hoped her friend was as happy as she seemed- it would be sad if she was faking her happiness. That wasn't as good as genuinely happy people, people who were content with their life and their friends and at peace. But…

The candy! It really was a huge box, bubblegum-pink, black chappies on the sides. The girl scurried to the corner, drooling slightly as she imagined the inside of the box. Candy, candy, candy! A light practically radiated from the contents as the vice-captain peered inside.

"You should write back an' thank her, ya know," Her keeper's voice sounded from the doorway.

The shinigami girl nodded, fetching a pink crayon and sketchpad from a drawer.

* * *

Review, review, review! Whaddaya think?


	12. Epistolary Dreams: Part IV

A/N: More coming!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I have also run out of disclaimers.

* * *

A blonde man dozed off behind piles of paper in a dimly-lit room, the symbol for _3_ shining, backwards, through the paper door. He blinked slightly, startled, as a gentle _poof _sound was heard. A package, bulging slightly at the seams, showed a return address in the World of the Living. He abandoned his division's paperwork- there'd been double since his captain deserted him- and opened the thing, curious, as a pile of books tumbled out, a letter following the tide. He grabbed the manga, eyes wide as he saw the covers. He eagerly opened the first, eyes greedily sucking in the tale, the letter lying forgotten on the desk. He turned the pages twelve times, excitedly gasping at the plight of the characters, before he fumbled and dropped the book. It lay face down on the abandoned letter. Face slightly guilty behind blonde bangs, he picked it up limply, reading.

_Hello! I am in the World of the Living on a mission to Karakura town, as you've probably heard. I decided to write to you after I saw a book I knew you'd like.(Yes, I know you like Naruto- you liked manga even in our Academy days, and a little 10th-division birdie told me.) I got you the newest volumes- I can't remember seeing them in Soul Society. Bye bye!_

Well, that was very kind of her. He figured he'd been a little… out of touch with everyone since his captain left, but it wasn't completely his fault. The paperwork had been ridiculous, after all. His zanpakuto made a tiny noise- a cough?- inside his head at this. "Shush," he frowned down at the weapon.

…But then, he could've put more effort into seeing everyone, having a chat here or there… No matter, this was as good a time as any to get his life back.

He allowed a small smile to grace his face as he grabbed a nearby paper to reply.

* * *

A/N: Mmmm, this one was hard. Hopefully you can still guess who it was. :)

Tell me what you think!! Review, please!


	13. Ice, Sun: YoruSoi

A/N: Today's chapter: Ice, Sun; YoruSoi. Submitted by: MissObvious. Thank you so much!! *waves*

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I have also run our of creative disclaimers. So sad.

* * *

She was ice. That hadn't been questioned since before… before she'd touched a weapon.

She'd first touched a weapon when she was three. It was tradition. She was a weapon. She was her clan's, to be used for better or for worse.

Of course, now that she was in the Gotei 13, she wasn't a tool for her clan. She was a tool for the higher-ups.

Despite all appearances, Soi Fon hated being a tool. All dignity aside, it was simply a stupid way to live- even if one was something grand as an ice sculpture.

It had been repeated throughout her childhood; over and over, again and again. Ice, be ice. Think of ice; no emotion, no ripples possible. A frozen lake, Soi Fon, ice. You are ice. You are our weapon. You fight for our honour.

The lessons had begun when she was two, the mantra whispered over her small form even as it lay in the cradle. Sometimes, Soi Fon entertained the mild notion that perhaps that cradle, too, had been ice. (Of course, she knew this was ridiculous, but still.)

She'd never known anything but ice, anything but the mindless work of a thinking tool. Never considered being anything but that ice sculpture, the crowning glory of a wintry garden.

Then Yoruichi had come into her life. Entered with a crash and a bang and a bright, sunny glow. Soi Fon had been dazzled. Dazzled, because in this woman's glow she could see that there was something beyond the wintry garden. That here, at the top of the world, (Or was it the bottom? It was difficult to tell…) was only a sliver of life.

Ice was not the only thing that existed.

There was a sun, too.

This sun shone, shone, shone. At first, the ice was glowing, lit from within the cold confines and gentle curves of its constraints. The radiance bounced and leapt and dazzled, making the whole winter garden glow. (But no spot quite as bright as Soi Fon's ice sculpture, because that was the crown jewel.)

But eventually, the sun was too bright, too shining, to brilliant. And the ice began to melt. To drip and drop and shift and shatter; subtly at first but with wild abandon after the sun shone brightest gold in the silver-winter-land.

In her less cynical moments (of which there were surprisingly many), Soi Fon liked to dream of what the sun and the ice (nothing was really left of the ice, now; the sun had taken its beauty and melted it, then left the winter garden to freeze. The ice had frozen, all right, frozen in a puddle on the ground.) had been in another life. What they'd been before they were. The sun, of course, had been something bright and shiny; an actress or a singer or a journalist or a doctor or a veterinarian. The ice had to have been something secretive or perhaps utterly boring; a spy or a government decoder or a policewoman or perhaps an accountant. Something like that.

But after the sun left the ice, frozen upon the ground in a disjointed blob of resentment and regret, the ice had a lot of time to think. To think on the whys and wherefores of the world as she did her unthinking job (even though she was a thinking tool.). She soon came to a conclusion:

The sun had been immeasurably important, and no-one had realized. The ice, as it melted, had discovered the flow and ripple of its warmer side, the way it could move anew and feel again. The ice didn't forgive the sun for going away, away from the garden at the top (or the bottom?) of the world. But, even as unforgiveness stewed in the ice's depths, it realized it had been water. Water could flow and feel. Water could love.

She had loved.

She had lost.

And she would move on.

* * *

A/N: Well, opinions please? Feel free to review. (I thought the end to this was a little sudden, buuuut...)


End file.
